First Annual Report of the Geological Survey of the State of NJ

t_ FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE , GEOLOGICAL SURVEY t; (Id/;t a¢ " OF THg / ' j STATE OF NEWJERSEY, i \ _ ]FOR THE YEAR 1854. NEW BRUNSWICK : PRINTED AT THE FREDONIAN OFFICE. 1855. NEW JERSEY GEOLOGICAL SURVEY NEW JERSEY GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT. To his ]_'xeelleneg, .Rodman a)(. Price_ Gorernor of the Stat6 of _'ew Jersey: SII_:--Havieg been honored by you with the charge of superintending the geological survey of this State, I beg leave herewith to submit the following reports_ for the consideration of the Legislature, of the pro_ess of the survey for the past year. These reports embrace, generally, an account of the plan which has been adopted in prosecuting the work, and some of the results which have an important economical application to agriculture_ mining, &e.,it being deemed advisable, at this early period, to abstain from any details or theoretical considera- tions, leaving them to their more appropriate place in the final minute and systematic report. GENERALREMARKS. The object of the survey is to lay before the people of this State as much practical and available information as possible, respecting its natural resources and advantages. The investigations necessary to the accomplishment of this object, are embraced under the following heads : 1. To determine the different varieties of rocks, and their relative position. NEW JERSEY GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 4 2. Their thickness and geographical range. 8. Their mineral and pala_ontological contents. 4. Their lithological and chemical character. 5. Their application to agriculture, mining, architecture, &c. 6. Their topographical features. The discovery of valuable mineral substances; the establish- ment of principles which will serve as unerring guides to their discovery and extent ; and the utter uselessness of scarchifig for them, except in particular geological formations ; the deri- vation, composition and character of soils; their means of im- provement and adaptation to particular plants; the plotting and construction of public works, such as railroads, canals, &e. ; architecture ; great internal improvbments ; determining the availability of water courses; establishing the most economical plans for drainage--thus rendering unhealthy districts, healthy and unproductive lands fertile; mining; and almost every branch of the arts and manufactures are included in the above investigations. In order to arrive at the most reliable and thorough re- salts, demanded by such investigations) researches in the following departments of practical science are required : . Topographical Engineering. Geology. Pal_eontelogy. Chemistry and Mineralogy. TOPOGRAPHICAL ENGINEERING. Topogra2Mcal and Geographical Ma2s--Seclfons. The topographical or physical features of a country depend on its geological formations. Wherever there is a change in the underlying rocks, there is a corresponding change on the surface, indicating the extent and limits of each formation) and serving as guides to the explorer. The varied aspect of a country, its mountain scenery, hills and dales, plains, water- NEW JERSEY GEOLOGICAL SURVEY falls and courses, all depend, to a greater or less extent, on the change from one formation of rock to another. In making a geological examination of a country, one of the first objects to be accomplished is t9 represent) on a topographical map, the precise locations and boundaries of the different formations of reeks ; also to draw vertical and horizontal sections and profiles of the surface configurations, which will show the order of superposition of the strata and layers of rocks, and their thick- hess. Hence the importance, in all minute and detailed geological investigations(of an accurate representation of the tope- graphical features of n country. Without this it is totally im- possible to describe its orographical structure. It is to be regretted that, of the many geological surveys of the different States of the Union, none have been prceeded by an accurate topographical map. England, France, and. some countries of the Continent, understanding its importance, have conducted their geological surveys on a proper basis, and thus furnished to the world that minuteness and accuracy of geological representation and description nowhere to be found in this country. GEOLOGY. The term rock, in geological language, not only applies to the hard, solid portion of the earth's ernst) but also to the sol% and loose materials, such as beds of sand, clay, peat, marl, and soil. They do not occur in a confused and irregular manner, but have a systematic order of arrange/nent) by which they may be classified into groups depending on their origin, relative age, and general characters. The most general classification is that which refers to their origin, and which divides them into three principal classes-- igneou%aqueou% and metamorphic. IGNEOUSRocKs.--The igneous rocks are those which have been formed by the action of heat in the central portion of the earth, and ejected to the surface in a molten state. Oa cool- Lug,they assume a crystalline aspect) andare generally corn- NEW JERSEY GEOLOGICAL SURVEY posed of one or more of the following simple minerals :--feld- spar_ quartz, hornblende, and mica.. They occur in veins_ dikes_ great irregular masses traversed by joints and divisional planes, constituting mountains_ ridges, &c. AquEous Rocg_s.--The aqueous rocks arb those which have been formed by the agency of water, from the disinte- grated particles of other rocks transported by currents, and de- posited as sedimcnt, in the form of strata, beds, layers, laminm_ &c. They very often contain organic remains of plants and animals. META_IOI1PHIC RocKs.--The metamorphic rocks are those which have been formed by aqueous agencies, and subse- quently so much altered in their texture by the action of heat_ as to resemble igneous rocks. They contain no visible organic remains. The above is a very general classification of roeks_ derived from their origin. The)- are subdivided into groups called systems_ according to their relative age. It is to be regretted that much confusion prevails in regard to their nomen-. elature. Every country, and almost every geologist, has a particular system of names, derived either from characteristic fossils, localities, or some lithulogical peculiarity of the rocks. Those most generally used and understood in this country_ are thn nomenclature of the English geologists, and that proposed by the geologists of the New York survey. Thd former is chiefly derived from localities in Great Britain, the latter from locali* ties in N'ewYork where particular groups of rocks arc well developed. As this was the first attempt at a complete classification of the rocks of this country_ it has been generally adopted in different States of the Union, and undoubtedly will remain as a standard of comparison. Geologieal investigation arranges and classifies the roeks_ represents their extent, thickness, and order of arrangement_ by means of sections, profiles, &c.; points out and describes the valuable mineral deposits of each formation, and the manner in which they may be worked and applied to various economical purpose_ But in order to NEW JERSEY GEOLOGICAL SURVEY iLL 7 accomplish this most successfully, it must call to its aid palm- ontology, mineralogy, and chemistry. It is by means of the minerals, and organic remains, that tho geologist is enabled to determine the varieties of rocks, and their relative ages--one of the most important considera- tions in a practical or economical view, for it is only in particular formations, Rut].of a particular relative age, that valuable mineral deposits occur. For example, in connection with the igneous and metamorphic rocks (azoie), as granite, trap, gneiss, ehloritic_ talcose_ and hornblende slates, beds of quartz and saccharoidal marbles_ or white crystalline limestone, occur the principal metalliferous deposits, as gold, silver, copper, iron, zinc, &c. It is in connection with the aqueous rocks of a certain relative age, that occur the great coal deposits, &c. The former are determined by their lithological character, the latter by thcir organic remains. PALEONTOLOGY. (O_GA._0 nE_x1_80Y aNIMXLg A_D PLANT&) ItsImportanaml_ _ZatlontoGeoZogy. Paheontolo_ is the science which treats of fossil remains. It has becn satisfactorily proved by geological and pal_eonto- logical research, that at different periods of time the crust of the earth has undergone numerous and various changes; that at one time it was inhabited by no living being; that the wa- tern of the ocean covered its surface ; that at a certain period animals and plants sprang into existence, and after living through a few generations died, leaving their remains entombed in the sedimentary deposits of the ocean's bed. Starting from this point, as we ascchd in the scale of animal and vegetable existence, we find now tribes of animals and plants success- ively appearing and disappearing, generation ssuccecding generations, until finally man and his associates, the most per- fect of them all, crown the era of animal existence. Some tribes and species have lived through long and saecessive peri- NEW JERSEY GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 8 ods of thousands of years, others for comparatively but a short period. It is often askca during what length of time have all of these successive changes taken place. But the geologist can compute time only by comparison. That it must have been inconceivably great, no one who studies the vast sedimentary deposits in which

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